(CoE) Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands should put in place strict human rights guardrails in their plans for ‘return hubs’

Date of article: 16/07/2026

Daily News of: 22/07/2026

Country: EUROPE

Author: (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights

Article language: en

On letters published today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, asks ministers responsible for migration policy in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands to ensure that any plans for ‘return hubs’ align with international human rights law.

The five governments have expressed intentions to launch joint initiatives to establish return hubs outside the EU.

Drawing from the findings of his September 2025 report, in which he warned that sending people to return hubs would present considerable human rights risks, the Commissioner proposes four core ‘guardrails’, based on international human rights law and standards.

First, any initiative to establish return hubs should be preceded by a comprehensive assessment of direct and indirect human rights risks. This assessment should be based on a rigorous factual and legal analysis and lead to a plan to prevent, mitigate or remedy those risks.

Second, if member states proceed with return hubs, they should ensure these are subject to adequate, independent and continuous human rights monitoring, with robust review and suspension mechanisms.

Third, co-operation on return hubs should be based on legally binding agreements that feature enforceable human rights clauses.

Fourth, parliamentary, public and judicial scrutiny should be made possible by making risk assessments, mitigation plans, monitoring outcomes and agreements public.